Harley Benton JB-20 CA Standard Series

JB20 CA Bass.

This bass guitar is an impressively assembled instrument.
The range of authentic Jazz Bass tones are all there for the finding.
It's appearance and quality of finish is also a delight.
The bass handles well and came perfectly set-up.
The minor adjustments made for personal preferences were easily made.
An ideal instrument from beginner through to intermediate use.
And also a go-to bass for all other music making.
Many of Thomann' s customers who have commented on product value for money are correct to do so, and the JB 20 CA bass is certainly no exception.
It joins the JB 20 Sunburst Bass previously purchased, to which Flat Wound Strings are now fitted. This also gives a good performing instrument.
After many years of listening to my eldest son practising bass for his gigs, I picked up an old Westone Thunderer1A bass he had left with me on leaving home. I now spend happy hours, making the same noises he used to, and have my own collection of basses from which to choose.
Thomann' s is always my preference for any items I need to follow my retirement interests..

we're talking about a cheap bass, right? so let's keep that in mind and not compare it to a high quality one that costs 10 times more.

out of the box, the string action is high and the bass isn't really pleasant to play, but if you take time to watch a few videos on youtube to learn how to adjust it, then you can get it alright. it'll be difficult to get the best string action + no fret buzz + a perfect intonation, but you can definitely get something that works and makes the bass a nice instrument to play.

i wish there was a little more effort put into the electronics because when you play with a bit of overdrive (or fuzz!) and don't touch the metal parts of the instrument (the strings or bridge typically), it will hum quite clearly, and i would have definitely paid 10 bucks more to get slightly better components that would fix that...

other than that, it's great, not too heavy, the neck is really good (again, let's not compare to a fancy instrument) and the sound is alright. some people say that changing the strings would improve that point, i haven't tried yet but it would make sense.

anyways, if you are looking for a bass as a secondary instrument just to record a few stuff or play occasionally and don't want to spend too much on it, go for it! just, don't be afraid to adjust it so you can make it right to play... you go slowly and it'll all be fine!
if bass is your main instrument and you want one that will follow you for years, i'd recommend to go with something more serious.

It is my first bass. Actually, this is the first bass I hold in my life. And I can't express my happiness and satisfaction with it.
It's very comfortable, well-balanced, sounds pretty well. But, as for me, it seems, there's not thick enough, especially on lower register. Anyway, it's a perfect choice to start practicing and value/price rate it on the highest level as usual when it comes to Harley Benton.
Special note on a color! I didn't want to buy red guitar, but my son insisted. And he was absolutely right! The color is beautiful and much much better then on photos! It's not just red, but rather crimson and looks very stylish especially up close.